Second Sky
by Tala Mitena
Summary: In which the beauty of symmetry is underappreciated, locked doors are overestimated, and mirrors are the object of misdirected hate. HikaruKaoru. Abandoned Project.
1. Session 001: Untouchable

**Author's Note:** Holy crap! It's some yummy, yummy twincest! It's just some little idea that popped into my head one day. Not much plot-wise, but I think I'll have fun writing this. It does get pretty heavy in the angst department though. . .so. . .yeah. . .Umm. . .Enjoy?

P.S. Special thanks to squbblyvanilla for beta-ing this for me. Now, go read her stuff. Do it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.

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Second Sky:

_Session 001: "Untouchable"_

Dr. Wakeru's voice was thin, and seemed to come from her nose rather than her mouth. And it was a rather large nose at that, with hideous tortoise-shell rimmed glasses perched on the bridge. Kaoru had the sneaking suspicion that she didn't actually need them, but rather wore them in an attempt to convince others that she was indeed intelligent enough to be in the position she held.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked again, tapping her pencil on the yellow legal pad in her lap as if to emphasize the fact that every word he said, or did not say, would be recorded, analyzed, and re-analyzed.

Kaoru looked behind her, at a large mahogany door, golden eyes straining uselessly to see past it and into the room where he knew Hikaru was waiting, just as anxiously.

"Mr. Hitachiin?" Dr. Wakeru called, her nasally voice dripping with contempt. "Please answer the question."

Kaoru shrugged, his eyes never leaving the door.

"No," he answered crisply and barely audibly.

The doctor's too-thin eyebrows rose sharply.

"Your parents," she said, her voice grating against Kaoru's nerves unbearably, "have decided that this is what's best for you and your brother. They feel that the two of you depend on each other far too much, and that as a direct result, do not possess the social skills required for success later in life."

Kaoru remained silent, his eyes still locked on that door, still waiting for it to melt away under his gaze so that Hikaru was finally in view.

"Mr. Hitachiin," Dr. Wakeru pressed once more, after Kaoru had gone several minutes without responding. His golden eyes finally pulled away from the door, to land angrily on the woman before flying to the clock.

Sighing, Kaoru turned his head to the side and closed his eyes. He'd only been in here for fifteen minutes, and he already had a headache.

Outside he heard footsteps fall angrily, back and forth in front of the door. Hikaru was restless, because he knew that Kaoru was uncomfortable. Kaoru smiled. Even with a monstrous nose, hideous glasses, and a large door separating them, they were still connected.

"You're smiling, Mr. Hitachiin."

Snorting, Kaoru again locked eyes on the door.

"Yes, I am, Doctor," he drawled, delighting in the woman's shocked reaction. He couldn't wait until she got Hikaru in here.

Of course, the real trouble would begin if she had both of them. Together they were untouchable, legendary even. Together, they could make her throw off those glasses and run home with tears sliding down the sides of that nose of hers.

"Why are you smiling, Mr. Hitachiin?" Dr. Wakeru asked, smiling herself, though obviously more worried than pleased.

"No reason," Kaoru shrugged. If he could just whittle away at her for the next half-hour or so, Hikaru could finish it up, break her in less than ten minutes.

"This is nothing to be pleased about, Kaoru," she practically bit at the air as she used his name, and Kaoru's smile melted away, his amber eyes narrowing.

"This is a serious problem. Your relationship with your brother - "

"He has a name," Kaoru whispered.

"What?"

"He has a name. Hikaru. He's not _just_ my brother."

Instantly, the doctor's pencil flew across her legal pad, and Kaoru hoped that she analyzed that statement until she went cross-eyed and killed herself because she couldn't stand looking at that nose.

"Your relationship," she continued, "with Hikaru is not healthy. According to your parents, neither of you interact with anyone outside of your household."

"So?" Kaoru asked, furrowing his brows. He saw no problem with that. He and Hikaru didn't interact with anyone except each other, really, but that was the way they both preferred it. They were untouchable, and they loved it.

The pacing outside the room stopped, and Kaoru's eyes instantly landed on the door, widening slightly as he clutched the arm of his chair. He waited for some sort of sign that Hikaru's change in behavior was not something over which to worry, leaning back and relaxing only when he could feel that Hikaru had done the same.

When his eyes found Dr. Wakeru once more, her pencil was again racing across the surface of her pad.

"You are about to enter high school, Kaoru. You and your . . .you and Hikaru must learn to be sociable, to be independent."

Independent. Kaoru hated that word, he always had. Independent meant not being with Hikaru; it meant being exactly like everyone else in the world. People were independent only because they did not have someone they could rely on, someone they could trust. He did. He had Hikaru, and that was all he would ever need.

"Why?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" the doctor replied, sounding offended, as if her professional opinion had never before been questioned.

"Why? Why do we have to be independent?"

The woman froze in the process of pushing those hideous glasses up the bridge of her equally hideous nose. After a moment she continued, fumbling with the frames, and Kaoru swore he saw her finger slip right through where the lens should have been. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed away some non-existent loose strands of hair, and cleared her throat.

"That's a good question, Mr. Hitachiin. I'm glad you asked that," she murmured, rolling her pencil between her fingers.

Again, Kaoru smiled. If he didn't break her, Hikaru would. If only they'd been together . . .

"If it's such a good question, then answer it, Doctor."

Dr. Wakeru's jaw quirked to the side and she sighed impatiently. Dropping her pen, she rested an elbow on her knee, and cupped her chin in her hand.

"I can see that getting you to cooperate is going to be very difficult," she said coldly, grinding her teeth together, "I tried to avoid this, but I can see, unfortunately, it's the only way to get you to realize the gravity of this situation."

Kaoru narrowed his eyes at the woman, wishing that Hikaru were in the room with him. If he were, they would have broken her long ago, would have shown her exactly why they did not need to be independent, why they _shouldn't_ be independent.

"All relationships deteriorate, Kaoru, to a degree, no matter how strong they are at one point in time. Eventually, your relationship with your brother will too."

Kaoru could feel his nostrils flare as his eyes widened and he exhaled angrily. This woman had no right making predictions about what might happen to _his_ relationship with Hikaru. She didn't know them; she didn't know how much they could accomplish together. He and Hikaru, they could rule the world.

"Sooner or later, Kaoru, one of you will fall in love. Then what will you do? What will you do when Hikaru gets married and has children and you can't live with him anymore, when you have to be alone?"

Kaoru clenched his jaw and glanced up at the clock, trying to ignore the slight ache behind his eyes. Time was up, and he made sure to silently convey this to that wretched excuse of a human being in front of him.

"Send in Hikaru, our time is up," she whispered sullenly. Kaoru found himself upset that she did not seem pleased with the effect of her words.

Standing, he walked slowly towards the door, slipping out and making sure it clicked shut quietly.

On the couch next to the door, Hikaru was curled around a pillow, breathing ever so softly as he slept.

Wiping at his eyes as if to prove to himself that they were still dry, Kaoru perched carefully on the edge of the sofa and slipped a hand into his brother's hair.

"Hikaru," he whispered, pulling his fingers slowly through soft copper strands.

"Hmmm?" Hikaru sighed, turning over and opening his eyes to blink slowly up at Kaoru.

"Your turn," Kaoru murmured, removing his hand from his brother's hair and curling his fingers around Hikaru's.

"I hate taking turns," Hikaru mumbled groggily, squeezing his twin's hand as if he would slip away forever once contact was broken. Kaoru nodded and they both stood, walking slowly towards that dreaded mahogany door.

Reaching their destination, Hikaru turned the gleaming doorknob as Kaoru pulled him back slightly. Two pairs of honey eyes met, and Kaoru tapped his finger lightly against the bridge of his nose, a small smile stretching his lips.

Hikaru laughed, a bit too loudly for his twin's liking, then leaned forward and whispered, "Ten minutes," before disappearing behind the mahogany door once again.

As it clicked shut, much more loudly than Kaoru ever allowed doors to close, Kaoru sighed and headed towards the couch. His feet felt heavy, as did his arms, and head, and heart.

He had no reason to worry. This woman knew nothing about him and Hikaru. She didn't know that they would defy the rules her precious textbooks fed her. He and Hikaru would never deteriorate; they were sacred, immortal.

They were perfect.

But only together. They'd been made together, after all, hadn't they? So, why should they ever be apart?

Separating two things that were made to be together, specifically designed to be together by some great cosmic force was unnatural.

It was sin.

So why did his heart flutter anxiously whenever he replayed Dr. Wakeru's words? Why did his breathing feel shallow, impossibly shallow, no matter how much air he sucked in?

Wrapping his arms around the pillow his brother had been using earlier, Kaoru laid down on the couch, burying his face in the pillow and groaning softly.

He felt sick. His head was pounding and his stomach was churning, and his heart was beating too fast and his lungs were so huge and he needed so much air.

So he breathed in deep and held all the air in his lungs, loving how it still smelled of Hikaru, how it smelled of _them._

It smelled like expensive cologne and fine shampoo, and maple syrup, and Kaoru's lungs were finally satisfied, and his stomach settled. Invisible fingertips traced their way along his cheekbones and jaw line and he sighed contentedly, sitting up but still hugging the pillow to his chest.

She was wrong, so very wrong. No matter what she said, no matter how hard she tried, Kaoru just had to remember that she was wrong.

He and Hikaru would never be apart.

Muffled yelling came from behind the mahogany door, and Kaoru dropped the pillow to stand next to it, careful not to be in its path, as he suspected it would soon swing open.

But the yelling stopped, and Kaoru heard nothing, felt nothing, for a long while before the door finally opened and Hikaru emerged, kicking it shut beside him.

"Hika-" Kaoru began, moving towards his twin, only to be stopped as Hikaru wrapped Kaoru in his arms, resting his head on the younger twin's shoulder.

Kaoru's heart began beating too quickly again and that anxious flutter returned.

If Hikaru was worried, he should be too, no matter how wrong Dr. Wakeru was.

Slipping his eyes closed, Kaoru placed a hand on his brother's head and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Hikaru, it's okay. I'm here."

"I won't leave you. Not ever," Hikaru muttered, tightening his grip on Kaoru.

"I know."

Silence filled the small waiting room as they remained in their tight embrace, Kaoru waiting patiently for Hikaru's overwhelming confidence to return. When it did, the older twin straightened and smiled reassuringly.

"It's a good thing she doesn't really need those glasses," he murmured, once again grabbing hold of Kaoru's hand.

They both laughed as Kaoru gave his brother's hand two light squeezes before they moved towards a door that was, thankfully, not mahogany, and stepped out into the sunlight.


	2. Session 002: Make Perfect

Author's Note: I am so, so sorry that this took me so long to update. I haven't gotten around to planning it all out as much as I usually do with my stories, so that was a bit of problem. Plus, I've been super busy with work and school and homework and what I pitifully refer to as a social life, _and_ I've been plagued with an insane case of writer's block lately. Hopefully updating will be a lot more expedient in the future, but please try to be patient. I'm trying my best.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

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Second Sky:

_Session 002: "Make Perfect"_

"He's even stranger than we thought," Hikaru and Kaoru muttered to themselves as their upperclassman, and new club president, continued his speech on what he referred to as the Ouran High School Host Club.

Tamaki was gesturing floridly, his concerned tone clearly exaggerated as he spoke of the club's duty.

The twins missed almost every word of it, focused more so on the blonde's strange behavior than the actual message of his speech. They did, however, get what this "most honorable cause" he was blathering on about was. They did know what a host club was, after all. What confused Hikaru, and therefore also plagued Kaoru, he assumed, was that it was, indeed, a _host_ club. Weren't the members of these things usually female?

"And that, is where you come in," Tamaki crooned with a bright, charming smile. "Catering to the needs of fans of the 'little devil' type - the Hitachiin brothers, terrorizing the masses with ingenious pranks while fostering their forbidden love!"

"For...?" the twins inquired together.

Tamaki paused, mid-florish, to blink at the identical boys in front of him. Laughing to himself, he dropped one hand to his side, flicking a lock of hair out of his eyes with the other as a delighted smile softened his expression.

"Why, each other, of course."

Hikaru chuckled nervously, his twin remaining silent beside him.

"You're kidding," he muttered.

"Right?" Kaoru finished.

The blonde's smile morphed into a smirk as he answered.

"Mother," he drawled, making a sweeping gesture towards a dark-haired, bespectacled teen who sat silently across the room, "would you care to explain?"

With every passing second, Tamaki seemed more and more odd. Hikaru had always doubted the older boy's sanity, as had Kaoru. What, with his strange manner of speaking and flowery gestures, it was only natural to suspect that something was not quite right.

And now...

Now he wanted twin brothers to pretend to be in love with each other?

And had he just called Kyouya 'mother'?

"According to recent polls, a growing percentage of the female population fantasizes about male-male relationships. The appeal becomes even more magnanimous when you add in the breaking of a taboo," Kyouya rattled off, all business as he flipped through the crisp pages of the notebook that was perched so carefully in his lap.

Hikaru stole a glance at his brother, their aurous eyes locking in a silent exchange.

Both agreed.

This was strange. This was very strange, and most certainly had the potential to become very, very awkward.

However...it also had the potential to be incredibly amusing.

Shrugging, Hikaru sighed, "How hard can it be?"

"We just sit around," Kaoru added.

"Making goo-goo eyes at each other,"

"For about an hour each day?"

"Wrong," Kyouya's sharp voice cut in, earning a surprised glance from the twins. "This act must be kept up any time you are in the public eye. Our customers must believe the two of you are actually in love."

"Which means you can never be caught out of character," the blonde continued, "Which also means that your act must be as polished as possible." His tone was, for once, serious, and Hikaru threw a questioning glance at his brother.

Another implicit exchange.

Tamaki watched expectantly. Kyouya ignored them.

Kaoru shrugged, the soft action failing to capture the attention of anyone, aside from Hikaru. Even had the other two teens caught the shrug, it's meaning would have been lost to them, as it was silent, finding expression only in the soft glow of his golden eyes.

_"Practice makes perfect."_

Hikaru's eyes widened in shock as he glared pointedly at Kaoru, who merely repeated that slight shrug of his.

"What?" The older twin mouthed silently.

Again, Kaoru shrugged.

Rolling his eyes, Hikaru continued to glare.

He'd been fine with this, perfectly fine, right up until Tamaki had mentioned polishing their act, practicing. How far was he planning on taking this?

How far was he, how far was _Kaoru _willing to let it go?

Turning away from his brother, Hikaru sighed inwardly. This was going get messier than he'd thought. He could feel it.

"Hikaru…" Kaoru murmured, reaching over to place a concerned hand on his brother's shoulder. "We don't have to…"

The older twin sighed. No, they didn't have to. But, Kaoru wanted to. For whatever reason – Hikaru was frightened by the fact that he did not know this reason – Kaoru wanted to.

And if Kaoru wanted something, Hikaru made sure he got it. That was the way it had always been. That was the way it always would be, no matter what large-nosed ex-therapists had to say about it.

"It's okay," Hikaru whispered before turning to the two upperclassmen. "We're in."

"Bravo!" Tamaki cried, leaping into the air triumphantly. "Let the practice begin then!"

"Now?!" both twins groaned.

"Best to get in as much practice as possible, no?" the blonde said with an effortless shrug, "So yes, now. Let's see it then."

"See what?"

"Anything. Convince me though. A kiss might be best…"

"Kiss!" Hikaru and Kaoru cried.

"Isn't it…"

"Too soon?"

Their question was thrown at Kyouya, who was clearly more sensible than this Tamaki, but the dark haired boy was simply too preoccupied with his notebook to answer.

When they returned their attention to the blonde, he merely regarded them with expectation, remaining both silent and completely oblivious to the absurdity of his request.

Hikaru felt his brother's gaze slide over to him, and in the edge of his sight he caught Kaoru's sly little smirk, and one of his own gleamed in his amber eyes.

Waving a hand dismissively in Tamaki's face, he sighed, "Your powers of persuasion have convinced us, Lord Tamaki."

He turned towards Kaoru, as Tamaki nodded slightly in satisfaction, missing the sarcasm that had dripped from every syllable of Hikaru's statement.

"Ready?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded shyly, raising a hand to bite nervously at his nails.

Tutting softly, Hikaru gently clasped Kaoru's hand, pulling it to his heart and smiling.

"Now, now brother. You'll ruin your perfect, slender fingers."

"They're not…"

"Sh…everything about you is perfect, Kaoru," Hikaru murmured huskily, raising his brother's hand and placing it on his cheek.

He leaned closer then, and their mouths hovered above contact.

And then, Hikaru hesitated.

It was his stomach. His stomach had knotted up, and was churning and bubbling, brewing up heat in his gut. The heat settled, low in his abdomen, purring contentedly and pressing for…something.

His lungs felt small, and weak, and he strained to keep his breath from shaking.

The thought crept into his mind that he did not want to do this, not anymore. Now, he wanted to stray from their decided path.

He wanted to…but Kaoru's questioning gaze, framed with pale lace lashes, stopped him.

And so, Hikaru leaned forward, a fraction closer. He heard his twin's – or, perhaps his own – breath hitch in something akin to anticipation, some distant cousin of its marriage to nervousness, and he lifted his gaze slowly.

As two, matching pairs of warm, honey eyes locked, that heat pooled in Hikaru's gut once more, and he felt his brother's hand tremble against his cheek.

Smirking, he nodded ever so slightly, and Kaoru's hand steadied.

As two, matching sets of fingers pinched two, matching pairs of cheeks, Hikaru and Kaoru pursed their lips and fluttered their eyelashes at eachother, making wet, kissing noises that sent Tamaki whirling over to the corner of the room, where he sunk into a pathetic, sulking heap.

Hikaru swore he saw a chuckle struggle to slip past Kyouya's thin, serious lips as he and his brother erupted with laughter of their own.

Their joy died slowly, and Tamaki spent the entirety of the twin's celebration in that corner, his mind clearly trying to work through something.

Hikaru paid him no mind, instead relishing the snicker that lingered on his lips, throwing an arm casually, lazily about his brother's shoulders and slumping into a more comfortable position.

Once the twins' laughter had subsided, Tamaki rose, brushing hair out of his face and striding over to them confidently, as if his small fit had never taken place.

"A wonderful performance," he sighed, "though your small prank did mar it quite a bit. Other than that, it was quite convincing. Now, shall we begin again? From the top."

Kaoru glanced at his brother, whose brow rose sharply as his mind worked through the possibilities.

They could humor this strange blonde, if they were so inclined.

But if they did…if this played out in the right way…

Hikaru couldn't shake away the thoughts that plagued him in that instant of consideration – thoughts of heat and amber eyes, pale lashes and shaking breath and trembling hands.

And so they would not humor this strange blonde.

"Now, now," he sighed, swiftly withdrawing his arm from its perch on Kaoru's shoulders. "If we did so well just then, what's the point in practicing so much?"

Snorting indignantly, Tamaki tilted his face upwards and waved at the twin.

"I'd prefer some sort of insurance that this type of thing will not occur again. Your act must be seamless, Hikaru. _Seamless._ No seams!"

"We'll practice at home, alright?" Hikaru snapped, leaping to his feet and glaring at the older boy, hands clenched in fists at his side. "But now, we're leaving. Kaoru!"

Scowling, Hikaru stalked towards the door, not bothering to wait for his twin to follow.

"Hikaru!" Kaoru called as the door slammed shut behind them and Hikaru began pacing the hall angrily.

"Who does he think he is, huh? Bossing us around like that!" Hikaru growled, whirling around to face his brother.

"Hika - "

"He's almost as bad as that damn Dr. Wakeru! If only Mother could get _him_ fired…"

"Hikaru," Kaoru chided softly, reaching out to grab Hikaru's hand, gently squeezing it twice before pulling his twin closer and resting his head on Hikaru's shoulder. "There's no reason to be this upset. Tamaki is just trying to make this host club as perfect as possible. He doesn't know…"

"You're right," Hikaru murmured, gaze sliding over to watch his brother. His mouth dried as he tried desperately not to focus on the way Kaoru's breath billowed against his shoulder. Stepping back abruptly, he allowed the other boy's head to fall from its perch and shook his head slightly, trying to clear it from those thoughts again.

What in the world was coming over him? He couldn't think straight, and every tiny thing Kaoru did…

Scoffing to himself, Hikaru turned on his heel and headed down the hallway, stopping only when Kaoru refused to follow, whispering his name and tugging on his arm slightly.

"We're not really going to practice…are we?" Kaoru asked softly, raising concerned eyes to his brother.

Only one thought entered Hikaru's mind then.

_Practice makes perfect._

"No," he snapped. "Of course not. That's absurd."

Kaoru smiled, and Hikaru shivered inwardly at the fact that he could not, for the life of him, figure out if the smile was forced.


End file.
